But the officer was accused of acting with unreasonable force and against force policy and charged with dangerous driving.

The cop looked close to tears in the dock as he was found not guilty by a jury after five-and-a-half hours following a four-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

The father-of-two, described as a “fine officer and a fine man”, said he thought disqualified driver Ogungboro, 27, might end up “killing someone”.

Alamy

Court heard scrambler bikes had become a scourge on Merseyside

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29-year-old Ellerton, who has served with Merseyside Police for 10 years and has been commended twice, for bravery, after saving a woman from a house fire and professionalism, for arresting a murder suspect, was charged and put on restricted duties. He faced possibly losing his job if convicted.

Ogungboro, who was serving a suspended jail sentence at the time, was spotted by PC Ellerton “flying” through a junction in Liverpool city centre on a scrambler bike without lights on or a registration plate in the early hours of September 14 last year.

Ogungboro, from Toxteth, was doing wheelies, weaving in and out of traffic and driving across the wrong side of the road.

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Brave cop spotted driver in Liverpool city centre

PC Ellerton spotted the disqualified driver “flying” through a junction in Liverpool city centre

Just a month after the scrambler incident, he led police on a 70mph chase in a van through south Liverpool, before crashing into a parked car.

Ian Hope, prosecuting, told the jury that while PC Ellerton is a “good man” who is “on our side” he had not followed police policies and had broken the law because Ogungboro, who had previously driven at and hit a Police Community Support Officer on a scrambler, was on two wheels and a “vulnerable” road user.

The court heard scrambler bikes had become a scourge on Merseyside, involved in a series of serious and fatal accidents, and was now the “go to” vehicle for organised crime gangs involved in drugs and guns, because pursuing scramblers was deemed “too risky” by police.

PC Ellerton’s partner, and mother of his young children, wept with joy along with other members of his family as the verdict was announced.